Colts vs Patriots matchup preview and current betting lines
It’s the dawn of a new era for the Indianapolis Colts. They’ve finally decided to move on from their formula of old and washed quarterbacks, although the word around the league is that they reached out to Andrew Luck to see if he was interested in coming back from retirement.
Youngster Sam Ehlinger will get the nod for a second straight week, and while he wasn’t exactly impressive in his debut, he sure looked much better than Matt Ryan. Notably, it’s not like the bar was that high, though, as Ryan looked terrible out there for the most part.
There could be somewhat of a quarterback controversy on the other side of the field as well. Bill Belichick pulled the plug on Mac Jones in favor of Bailey Zappe vs. the Chicago Bears but then turned back to the Alabama product against the New York Jets.
Whatever the case, it seems like patience is running out at Foxboro, and Jones better start delivering now that he knows that another young QB is breathing on his neck. Maybe, that’ll motivate him. Maybe, he’ll crumble under pressure.
Players to watch:
Jonathan Taylor: Jonathan Taylor entered the season with plenty of praise and hype, and rightfully so. However, he’s failed to live up to those expectations and has been middle-of-the-pack at best. He no longer has Nyheim Hines taking snaps away from him, so he better step up.
Mac Jones: Mac Jones knows he’s walking on thin ice right now. Pats fans are ruthless and didn’t hesitate to turn to Bailey Zappe when things got rough, and neither will Bill Belichick. He’s got a huge target on his back right now.
Week 9 Predictions: NFL Bet of the week on Colts vs Patriots
Colts +5.5
The opening Colts vs Patriots spread have the New England Patriots at 5.5-point favorites. That could make sense, considering how underperforming and disappointing has the Indianapolis Colts’ defense been for most of the season.
However, the Patriots have struggled to put up points more often than not, and they’ll still get to go against a physical unit that may only need facing a bad offense to finally start clicking and living up to their true potential.
Moreover, the Colts’ offensive numbers are somewhat misleading. Jonathan Taylor has struggled with an injury, and Ryan was one of the most inefficient QBs in the opposing field we’ve seen in the past couple of decades. No joke.
So, with little-to-no NFL film on Sam Ehlinger and the Colts’ establishing the running game, we wouldn’t be shocked to see this game go either way. We expect this to be a battle, not a blowout, and to be settled by 3 points or less.
Under 40
The opening Colts vs Patriots odds have this game total sitting at just 40 points. This speaks volumes as to how poorly both teams have performed offensively this season and proves neither can’t be trusted when it comes to the passing game.
The Patriots will most likely rely heavily on Rhamondre Stevenson, both on the ground and with short screen passes as Mac Jones’ escape valve. We can expect the same from the Colts and Jonathan Taylor, especially with Nyheim Hines gone.
This has the makings of a low-scoring, somewhat boring matchup between two teams that will favor the running game and are more focused on getting stops than first downs. That’s just what Bill Belichick and Frank Reich know to do.
There’s a big shortage of talent on both offenses, so we don’t expect many – if any – explosive plays or big gains. Instead, we expect some offensive miscues and multiple turnovers in a game that could end something like 20-17.
FAQs about Colts vs Patriots
No, he’ll be benched again.
Bill Belichick didn’t say.
Visit our player props page to get the best prop bets.
Of course, just visit our NFL picks today for more expert picks and parlays.
Yes, check them out on our NFL odds page.